Cristian Arango vs. Lionel Messi: A David and Goliath Battle for MLS MVP

The Unfair Battle: Cristian Arango vs. Messi for MLS MVP

As Major League Soccer (MLS) reaches its peak excitement, discussions about the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award are heating up. On a recent Saturday night, during an electrifying match between LAFC and the New York Red Bulls, Apple TV commentators Max Bretos and Mariano Trujillo pondered over the frontrunner for the coveted MVP title.

Their conclusion was unanimous: Cristian Arango was leading the race.

Arango's exceptional performance earlier that day, where he netted his seventh and eighth goals of the season for Real Salt Lake in a commanding 4-0 victory against the Chicago Fire, positioned him as the top scorer in the MLS Golden Boot chase, momentarily surpassing even the legendary Lionel Messi. This remarkable feat unexpectedly elevated his team to second place in the Western Conference standings, defying preseason predictions.

The sentiment echoed by Bretos and Trujillo resonates among seasoned MLS enthusiasts who understand the typical trajectory of an MVP season. However, this year's MVP race is far from conventional.

For any player, including Arango, to claim the MVP honor over Messi—a player who recently clinched his eighth Ballon d'Or as the world's best player in 2023—would require an unprecedented and arduous campaign. The landscape of MLS coverage is marked by a scarcity of independent reporting, while MLS-produced content promoting Messi's presence in the league is more pervasive than ever before.

Undoubtedly, Messi deserves recognition for his on-field brilliance. With seven goals and six assists in just six MLS appearances, Messi's performance surpasses even Carlos Vela's outstanding 2019 season, often hailed as the best individual MLS campaign. Despite anticipated absences for international commitments like the Copa America, Messi's projected statistics of a 20-goal, 20-assist season seem within reach, making his MVP candidacy nearly indisputable.

Nevertheless, the disproportionate influence of league-promoted content on award voters and the overwhelming focus on amplifying Messi's MLS impact underscore the inherent challenges faced by contenders like Arango in the MVP race.

In a season where individual excellence clashes with institutional biases, the battle for the MLS MVP title promises to be anything but fair.

 

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